LinkedIn Adds Twitter-Like Mention Feature To Boost Engagement

LinkedIn has added a new feature that, similar to Twitter, allows you to mention contacts and companies on the site's homepage.

But, similarly to how you can't direct-message someone on Twitter unless they already follow you, you won't be able to use the new mention feature with people outside your LinkedIn network. This makes sense for LinkedIn's business, which sells premium memberships to members who, among other features, can send out-of-network personal messages, or InMail.

It's likely the new mention feature will help LinkedIn expand its push to become the premiere content creation and sharing platform for professionals, most recently boosted by its purchase of the news aggregator app Pulse last month.